Insidious - Part 4

Fiction Friday. Escape pod here. 

Insidious Part 4

The metal orb hovered in the dimly lit chamber. There had been no rest for the students. The five jumps to the Deltole system took less than 30 minutes. After swapping to a small orbital drop-ship on the station they had arrived at the remote ruins on the planet. After setting up their camp they had immediately got to work surveying the ruins. The first job was a LADAR survey of one chamber for each team. Bouey had asked Doure if she wanted to team up. They watched the small micro-drone hover around taking a 3D survey of the ancient room.

"So do you think these are Yan Jung?" Bouey asked referring to the ancient civilisation.

Doure paused to think. There was a constant debate amongst academics on this issue. The Gallente race certainly shared some of the characteristics of what they had discovered about the Yan Jung but also there were plenty of differences. The inscriptions she could see didn't look Gallente. Plus there was a lot of debate why a clearly space-faring race would build this temple.

"Yes. I think these are probably Yan Jung. Problem is most of the ruins and archeological sites of the civilization have been found in space, not planetside. Why would they build this structure from crude stone when we know they were a spacefaring race millennia before we were?"

The two students fell silent think about that as the drone buzzed around.

On Fricoure Yverens was chatting to an old colleague at the party. Vice-Admiral Deuverin Ogorard had retired from the Federal Navy just before Yverens. They were discussing the situation in the distant star system of Tama. It was a strategically important system as it bordered Caldari high-sec. Federation control of that system severely restricted Caldari military access to a large section of low-sec and to one of the main 'pipes' to Federation space. The term 'pipe' was used to describe a series of closely spaced solar systems connected by star gates allowing sub-capital ships not equipped with a jump-drive to travel between them. There were six systems between Tama and the system known as Old Man Star, the equivalent system on the Gallente boarder.

"So the Squids took Tama?" Yverens sighed using the derogatory term for the Caldari.

"Yes. TEMPLIS forces based in Hasmijaala have been supporting the local militia and the pirate problem is worse than ever. For years the State Navy has been looking at taking Tama and forcing CONCORD to upgrade its security to an oh-point-five. Taking Tama into the State and allowing them to deploy the Navy and Police there will kill the bottleneck. No more pirates causing havoc and it would no longer be a bottleneck into high-sec. They would have a two pronged attack given the OMS-Sujerento pipe loops around into Tama as well as the OMS-Kedama pipe. We have to hope our politicians can keep the status quo or our militia takes it back soon."

Yverens nodded sipping his drink. If the State was able to annex Tama it would be an unmitigated disaster for the Gallente Federation. He heard a laugh to his left. Glancing over he saw Vysena serving drinks to a small group of his friends. She looked over her shoulder and met his gaze. His heart fluttered as she gave him a smile.

On Deltole 6 it was late. The students had completed the LADAR surveys of their designated chambers and had all retired to their tents. Doure was sat up nervously. The call for lights out had gone off half an hour ago. It was nearly time. Bouey had sat next to her on the shuttle. He had been amazing and they'd talked and laughed all the way there. She couldn't help but notice the looks they got from some of the other girls but she didn't care. When he asked to be her field partner she had tried to look casual about it but knew he probably could see her excitement. The sound of the tents zipper being slowly pulled made her hold her breath. The flap opened and she saw him in the light of the moons. He slipped inside the tent and held up a bottle. Doure smiled as she saw the bottle of Gallente vodka and the handsome face in the dim moonlight.

Back on Fricoure the party was in full swing.

"You have to tell me the agency you used!" Someone whispered into Yverens's ear from behind.

"What agency?" he asked turning to his ex-colleague. Linead worked with him nearly a decade ago in the Federal Navy. Married with three kids but a known ladies man.

"Come on, don't hold back. The waitress! Where in Divinities Edge did you hire her from?"

Yverens realised what his friend was saying. He glanced over and saw Vysena serving drinks to a couple and laughing and joking. She was a natural at this.

"I didn't hire her. She's one of Doure's friends." he replied.

"She's a college girl? Oh man, I need to find the wife and chain myself to her to ensure I don't make any mistakes. It would be amazing, but divorce is not worth it. Am I right!" he laughed, slapping Yverens on the back.

As his friend left he watched Vysena work the room. Everyone had a drink and everyone was having a good time. Other than his wife of course. She was doing the dutiful wife routine but had hardly spent any time with him. "Yverens how are you? Wonderful party!" a familiar voice behind him said. He turned to greet his neighbour, tearing his eyes away from Vysena in that dress.

"How are you doing Mrs Catelnau?" Vysena asked on the other side of the room.

"I'm OK Vysena. Thanks. I've told you before to call me Slens. I hate these things to tell you the truth." Slens smiled awkwardly. She disliked these gatherings that her husband threw but grinned and bared it never the less.

"I can tell." Vysena replied and span her drinks tray around. At the back of the tray behind all the champagne was a single glass of Amarrian red wine."

Slens smile beamed. "Whatever my husband is paying you its not enough."

A few hours later and the house was almost quiet. The last guests were leaving and Vysena was clearing the glasses. Yverens said goodbye to the last guests and closed the door. His wife was leaning against the wall drinking a half full glass of red wine.

"Well thank frack that's over!" she slurred.

"How many have you had?" he asked sternly.

"No enough!" she muttered and tried to stand upright. She wobbled and fell down to one knee. The glass fell to the floor and bounced on the lush carpet spilling the wine everywhere. Yverens rushed over and helped her up. She was so unsteady he was struggling to hold her as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Vysena suddenly appeared and supported her under the other shoulder.

"Looks like someone had a very good time!" she said. Yverens just rolled his eyes as they walked towards the stairs. It was a struggle to get her up to the first floor.

"No more! Lets put her in the guest bedroom! I cannot handle another flight of stairs." Yverens said guiding them to the nearby door. Within a few minutes they had her in bed and quietly closed the door.

"Well that was a fun party." Vysena beamed.

"Yeah." mumbled a distracted Yverens. His wife never got that drunk, it was very out of character. "Look its going to be a nightmare getting a taxi now at this time. Why don't you stay in Doure's room and I'll drop you downtown in the morning.

"That would be great!" Vysena smiled.

Back on Deltole Doure was buzzed from the drink. The bottle lay half empty beside them. They had been kissing for almost an hour and her jaw was starting to ache. His hand again dropped low and she grabbed his wrist pulling it back to her chest.

"Easy tiger." she whispered "Not so fast!"

He gave an awkward smile and went back to the kissing.

Yverens heard a knock on his bedroom door as he was unbuttoning his shirt. 'Towels!' he thought, 'Vysena must need some towels'. He opened the door ready to apologies but stopped. Vysena was stood there looking as she did at the party. She held a bottle of champagne and two crystal flutes and a look on her face that was a half smile.

"I wasn't sleepy and with you schmoozing all evening and me serving we forgot to enjoy ourselves. I thought a nightcap was in order?"

Every fibre of his being screamed 'no'. Letting her in here was the point of no return. He'd be mad to even contemplate it. It could ruin his life. Yet he found himself smiling and backing up into the bedroom swinging his arm into the room. Vysena smiled and walked in swaying her hips. She placed the flutes on the bedside table and poured a glass each. She passed Yverens a glass and he took it. She sat down on the edge of the bed. He soaked in her beauty. The voices in his head continued to scream warnings but he ignored them. He considered sitting next to her but that was too much. He grabbed the stool from his wife's dressing table and sat opposite her, using the bedside table both as drinks table and to provide some distance between them.

"You OK? You look sad?" she asked.

"I'm OK. Busy night and its been a funny couple of month. The girls haven't settled into planet-side life as I would have hoped." he replied. "How are you?" he asked hoping to deflect the subject.

"I'm OK now!" she said taking a drink."Although these shoes have killed me with bring on my feet all of tonight." She kicked off a high heeled shoe and rubbed her foot. She looked deep into Yverens's eyes and gave a wicked smile. Slowly she extended her leg so her foot was hovering between his knees. "Would you mind?" she pouted with a half smile.

Yverens stared at her shapely leg. This was a line he should not cross. She might be asking for a foot rub, but he knew it was in no way innocent. He'd be mad to do it and it would be best to say say he thought it would be inappropriate.

"No! Stop it!" Doure snapped pushing Bouey off her.

"Come on!" he whined.

The making out had got hot and heavy but she was still resisting him.

"We only had a first kiss tonight. That means your hands stay above the waistband!"

Bouey flopped on his back sighing. "Vysena said you'd be up for it!" he moaned.

"What?" Doure said shocked.

"Vysena said you were a real wild one. Said you'd not come on to me but if I showed interested you were a sure thing!"

Doure's head span. Why would her friend say that? Did she put him up to this? May be she said it as he'd not be interested unless he thought she was up for some fun? Vysena was obviously more experienced in all this but Doure was worried about what she had been saying to Bouey behind her back. She swallowed and climbed on top of him.

"We've got all night. No need to rush!" she said pulling her t-shirt over her head.

"How did I get to this point?" Yverens thought screwing his eyes tight back on Fricoure. He retraced how he'd got to this moment in his head. Rather than turning her down he'd moved the chair closer and taken her silk-clad foot in his hands, slowly massaging the sole with his thumbs. She had smiled and leaned back as he worked her foot. After a while he swapped to the other. "Could you do my calf too?" she asked "Those heels look great but they are murder on the legs". He'd moved closer, running his hand up her silk-clad leg to reach her calf. It was as he moved that her other foot touched his inner thigh. The slight touch was electric sending shockwaves through his entire body. She moaned softly as he massaged her calf. Her other foot slowly started to lightly stroke his leg. "A little higher" she whispered. He moved a bit forward, her other foot creeping up his thigh as he hid. She shuffled down a bit causing the slit in her dress to ride up. We swallowed hard as he saw the stocking tops, suspenders and pale flesh of her upper thighs. He ran his hands much higher.

That wasn't underwear a college girl wore, that was what a woman looking to seduce a man wore. She extended her leg and it pressed into his hardness. She smiled at him seductively, all pretense now gone as she massaged him with her foot. Within a minute his willpower had collapsed and they were both on the bed ripping their clothes off.

The situation on Deltole had been similar. A slow escalation to the same outcome.

Now, both Yverens and his daughter Doure lay on their backs, light years apart but feeling the same. Both overcome with regret.

To be concluded....